Apple agrees to China’s security checks on iPhones

SHAFAQNA – Apple has agreed to China’s demand of carrying out security checks on its products, including iPhone, the country’s cyber security regulator has announced. The decision makes Apple the first foreign company to accept its proposal on security checks, Cyberspace Administration of China, said.

The move is significant because other US companies including Google and Facebook have earlier refused to undergo security checks. “These firms have had to leave the Chinese market because of their refusals to comply,” State media said.

The checks may include software, including the operating system and Safari web browser embedded in the products, informed sources said. Apple stands the chance of attracting disapproval about some aspects of its products or software, sources said.

Apple’s decision comes amid sharp growth in iPhone sales in China, which has overtaken the US to become the largest iPhone market. iPhone holds the third position in the country’s smartphone market after Xiaomi and Lenovo.

The cybersecurity regulator recently announced government’s plans to enforce a new set of rules aimed at maintaining state security and protecting the public interest.

“We’re always pushing the rule, hoping it will be published and become effective as soon as possible,” Peng Bo, deputy director of the Cyberspace Administration of China, said.

The regulator said last year that it would launch a security review targeting IT products, services and suppliers preparing to enter the country’s market. It said that companies that failed the vetting would not be allowed to sell their products in China.

The government wants to prevent Chinese computer systems from being controlled illegally, disturbed or shut down by problematical IT products and the services of some suppliers, as well as protecting users’ privacy, it said.

It is not clear what kind of checks and controls are being sought by the cyber security regulator, and if it would involve significant compromises by Apple.